New Pandora
by ChiefD3m0n1c
Summary: It has been many years since the Vault Hunters had their adventures. Now the fun is left to their children as new dangers start to appear on the planet. Rated T for violence, swearing and the usual Borderlands stuff.
1. Chapter 1: New Beginning

Heyo! This is a redo of New Pandora since I learned that half of the story makes absolutely no sense. So we got a new plot and there shouldn't be any holes or contradictions in it. So here is the first chapter of my new story…

Chapter 1: A New Beginning

It has been nearly 17 years since the Vault Hunters had been on any real adventures. Lilith had assumed command of the Crimson Raiders with Mordecai and Brick as her top two men. Axton had become one of Lilith's top soldiers and became a two star general after he led the assault on Opportunity. After two weeks of nearly constant fighting, the city had become theirs. This was 12 years ago and had been renamed Crimson City.

All of the other Vault Hunters had assumed roles within the Raiders either teaching or improving the Raiders. Gaige had join the Development and Research team to help create new weapons for the Raiders and technological advancements to improve the quality of life. Salvador had become the lead instructor of Raider infantry training and practically created an army of gunzkerers. Krieg had regained his sanity and molded himself into society.

He was given the task of close combat training for the Raiders. Maya had become the head instructor for teaching the Raiders how to use elemental weapons. Zer0 was in charge of teaching the Raiders how to snipe. Pandora had achieved relative peace with the assistance of the Black Knights. Bandit clans still existed, but remained in their own secluded areas.

Zer0 stood inside the close combat training arena with a wooden sword in his hand. His opponent was a teenage girl with long black hair that fell past her shoulders. She had blue eyes that matched the blue streak in her hair that went down the left side. She quickly brushed the hair that fell in her face out of the way and took a fighting stance. "Ready Angel?" Zer0 questioned as he raised his wooden sword.

"Ready Dad." She replied as she raised her wooden sword. She shot forward and the two clashed wooden blades with a loud crack. She slid her blade back and swung for his side, but he blocked it. She switched sides but he blocked that swing too. "Try not to alternate side swings." Zer0 advised. "It makes your tactics obvious. You want to keep you opponent guessing."

Angel shot back and replied "Right. Don't repeat swings. Make unpredictable moves. Got it." She shot forward and swung for his side again. He was about to block it when she flew just behind him and struck him in the back. He stumbled forward and spun around to block another swing. She swung at him mercilessly and he was starting to have trouble keeping up.

He blocked one swing when he noticed she took a step that landed next to his foot. She kicked her foot to the side and tripped him, sending him to one knee. He looked up and was met with Angel's wooden blade at his throat. She was panting and sweat started to drip from her. "I… win." She panted.

She took her blade away from him and helped him to his feet. "It seems that the student has finally surpassed the master." Zer0 chuckled as he placed his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Thanks Dad." Angel replied. "Can I get my own sword now?"

"We'll see."

"You always say that."

He patted her head and laughed "I know. Let's get showered and get out of here. Your mother is going to kill us for staying out so long." Angel laughed "Right. She'd be mad if we were even a minute late to the party." Zer0 headed for the male locker room and started to shower. Today was Angel's birthday and his little girl was turning 17 today. He finished his shower and threw on his usual grey long sleeved shirt and black pants.

We grabbed his gym bag and walked out to see that Angel was still in the women's locker room. He knocked on the door and called "Hurry up Angel! We need to get going!" She shouted from inside "I just need another minute!" Zer0 pulled down on his face and groaned "We'll be here for another hour if you need another minute." He sat down at a bench and waited for his daughter.

She finally walked out after ten minutes wearing a nice blue shirt with black pants. Her hair was a little more fluffed than usual and she was wearing make-up. "Is that what you're wearing to the party?" Angel questioned as she put a hand on her cocked hip. "Yes." Zer0 answered as he stood up and shouldered his bag.

"Dad! It's a party! You can't show up looking like you just left the gym!"

"But we are just leaving the gym."

"That isn't the point! We need to get you some better clothes!"

"Angel, we are both going to get an ear full from your mother as it is, we don't need her to kill us."

Angel looked like she was about to say something but just sighed "Fine." Zer0 patted the top of her head and laughed "One day you'll learn that I'm always right Angel."

"I'm a teenager Dad, I think I'm always right."

"Yes, and you'll learn that you aren't."

Angel threw her hand up in the air and admitted defeat "Fine! You win! Let's go."

Zer0 laughed as he patted his daughter's head "There you go. Now you're learning." The two walked out of the building and started making their way to the outskirts of Crimson city. The party was visible from the middle of the bridge and Zer0 smiled to see how well it turned out. There was a large table with different foods and a large cake at the end. There was another table next to it with gifts on it.

Angel ran over to meet her friends as Zer0 found his wife, Maya. She was talking with Axton as Zer0 wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek. "Where have you two been!?" She snapped as she spun around. "The party started half an hour ago!" Maya's hair was longer, just barely falling past her shoulders. She was wearing a light blue shirt with blue jeans as she scolded Zer0 for being late.

Zer0 stood there and smiled as his wife yelled at him until she barked "Stop smiling when I'm yelling at you! It makes it harder to do so!" Zer0 kissed her forehead and chuckled "Yes dear." Maya smiled and questioned "So what took you two so long?"

"Angel finally beat me."

"Really?"

"Yep. Finally took all my lessons and put them to use."

Zer0 put his arm around his wife as the turned to look at their daughter, who was talking with her friends from school. "Our little girl is growing up." Maya choked a little. "They'll do that to ya." Axton added. Zer0 shook Axton's hand and exclaimed "Glad you could make it."

"Wouldn't miss it. You know we're all family. I just want to know where Gaige and… there they are."

Zer0 looked to the bridge to see Gaige with her hair down and a small boy that looked almost exactly like Axton, but with red hair. Gaige was still in her jean jacket and work pants, splattered with grease and various lubricants. The boy was wearing a green shirt and blue jeans and carrying a long box under his arm. "Where have you two been?" Axton questioned as his wife hugged him. "Me and Justin were putting the finishing touches on Angel's gift." Gaige replied.

Justin put the long box on the gift table and went over to Angel, who seemed over joyed to see him. "This had better not be another robot companion that will turn against us." Zer0 grumbled. "This is totally different!" Gaige proclaimed. "And I fixed all the problems on Buddy Bot!" Zer0 rolled his eyes at the Mechromancer and asked "How is Justin's latest project going?" Justin was a mechanical genius like his mother and a wanted to be a soldier like his father.

Axton would tell Zer0 that he would find Justin working on all different projects to help with the military, but all of them would fail. "He thinks he almost has it down." Axton answered. "But I don't really think that a person could support a plasma mini gun on their shoulder while having a metal plate on their chest. Too much weight if you ask me."

"He'll figure it out. He's a smart kid."

"Smart ass more like it."

Maya added "I wonder where he gets it from." All of them looked at Axton, who commented "Hilarious." They continued to talk until Gaige pointed out "Hey! Krieg's here!" They turned to see the former psycho walking with his wife, Patricia Tannis, and his son Patrick. Krieg was still built, but adapted to wearing a black shirt and no psycho mask.

His face was scarred from all of the tests Hyperion performed on him and he was completely bald. Tannis remained the same except she grew her hair out a little bit. Patrick looked like a perfect combination of the two. He stood almost as tall as his mother and had her short brown hair. He was built like his father and mainly stayed quiet.

The psycho family walked over to the group and greeted. Patrick went over to Angel while Krieg shook all of the guys' hands and Tannis hugged the girls. "Took you two long enough." Axton laughed. "Patricia decided that she had a few experiments to run before we got here." Krieg answered as he gestured to his wife. "Scientific inquiry takes precedence over celebrations of one's birth." Tannis urged as she crossed her arms.

"Well everyone has made it!" Maya proclaimed. "Except for Salvador. Where do you think he's at?"

Zer0 answered "Probably training some grunts at the moment. I'm sure he'll show up. After all, Angel is basically his niece." Since all of the Vault Hunters worked together, their children grew up together, basically making all of them family. Angel talked with her friends from school when she heard Justin greet "Happy Birthday Angel." She turned to see her little brother and cheered "You made it!" She wrapped Justin in a hug and cheered "I'm so happy you made it!"

Justin was two years younger than she was and considered him a little brother since they practically grew up together. She put Justin down and questioned "How does the new project go?" Justin smiled and answered "I think I may just have it down. The firing mechanism works great and I was able to balance the entire thing out so I won't fall over anymore."

"That's awesome! Have you shown your parents yet?"

"I will once I know it works."

She looked to her friends who seemed like they were lost. Angel could understand if they were, their parents didn't raise them for Old Pandora life. Pandora was more civilized now without all of the bandits and creatures trying to kill you ten steps from the city. Bandits lived in their own areas and creatures generally avoided major areas so Pandora was starting to become… livable. "Don't worry if you don't get it." Angel chuckled. "Just Vault Hunter stuff."

The three other girls laughed at the idea of being a Vault Hunter, but that's what Angel wanted to do with her life. She wanted nothing more than to be like her parents, to be a Vault Hunter. She knew that Justin wanted to be a soldier and Patrick wanted to be a scientist, but Angel just longed for the freedom and carefree life of a Vault Hunter. She was tapped on the shoulder and looked up a bit to see Patrick's smiling face. "Patrick! You made it too!" Angel cheered as she hugged her other brother.

Patrick wordlessly patted her back as Angel let him go. He handed her a small book labelled "Vaults: Remains of the Eridians." Angel's jaw hit the floor and she stammered "B-b-b-ut… this isn't even supposed to be released yet! How? How did you?" Patrick pointed to the book and then pointed at his mother. "You got her to get me a copy!? This is amazing!" Angel cheered as she hugged Patrick again.

She went over to the table and set the book on it, overjoyed that she had a book on Vaults. She looked over at the adults, who were chatting it up with each other. Angel returned to her friends and continued to talk with them for a while. The party went on like a usual birthday party did, cake and food with all the usual singing. Angel thought the gifts were nice, her friends got her some nice clothes and off world music, which Angel enjoyed from time to time.

Justin handed her his gift and commented "I think you'll like this." She opened it up to see the most glorious sniper rifle she had ever seen. It had the shape of a Maliwan E-tech sniper, but without the wings and had a black and blue paint job. She picked it up and proclaimed "She's beautiful! Who made this?" Justin proclaimed with pride "Me and Mom did. It's a pulse sniper with rechargeable clip. Good for sixty shots before needing to recharge."

"That is completely and utterly awesome! Let's try it out!"

Angel grabbed the standard military grade magazine and put it in the bottom of the rifle. She looked through the scope and put the sights on a rock about a mile away. She used what her dad taught her about sniping and slowed her breathing. She gave the trigger a slow squeeze and the recoil nearly threw Angel off her feet. "It has quite a kick to it." Justin laughed.

Angel put it on the table and cheered "Thank you so much!" She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Dad handing her a small box. "Last one." He proclaimed as she took it from him. She opened it up to find a black stick about a foot long. Her eyes widened as everyone questioned what it was; a digistructing katana like her father's.

She squealed almost at the top of her lungs "I can't believe it! My own katana! Thank you so much dad!" She wrapped her arms around her father and repeated "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" He laughed and responded "Why don't you give it a few swings?" She let him go and grabbed the cold metal of her new weapon. She grasped the other end and separated the two pieces, digistructing a white blade as her father's was blue.

She gazed at the beautiful blade with her mouth open, amazed that she finally had one of her own. _"This is my tool."_ She thought as she gave the blade a few swings. _"My tool to become a Vault Hunter."_

There you have it folks! The revamped version of New Pandora! There will still be other characters from the original and they will still be the same. Remember, Assassin and Siren is the first story in the D3m0n1c Pandora series. Just a reminder. Anyway, let me know what y'all think with a PM or review (preferable review).

-Chief


	2. Chapter 2: Adventure Awaits

Heyo! Thanks for the feedback on the current rewrite, it will mainly follow the original but with better stuff.

Chapter 2: Adventure Awaits

Zer0 was laying in his bed with Maya resting on his chest. He ran his fingers through her long blue hair and smiled. They had been married a little over 17 years, a few months before Angel's birthday. Zer0 was happy with his life, marrying Maya and having a child. He was happy that his daughter was growing up and becoming as skilled as he was.

He looked down at Maya and smiled to see her so peaceful. The peace ended when he heard Angel scream from her room. Maya shot up and Zer0 practically knocked down his door to get into the main room. He sprinted across their small apartment and kicked in the door leading to Angel's room. He saw her standing by her bed with her arm raised.

There was a major difference in his daughter; Siren tattoos leading down her arm. He always suspected his daughter of being a Siren since she had the tattoos before. They were incredibly light, just barely visible, but now they were full blown obvious. "Dad." Angel cried in fear. "What's happening to me?" Maya pushed past him and gasped "Angel! You're… you're a Siren!"

"I'm… a Siren?"

Maya looked to Zer0 and practically cheered "Our daughter's a Siren!" Zer0 chuckled "Yeah, I know." Maya wrapped Angel in a hug and cheered "I'm so happy! I thought you would be just like your father and we wouldn't have a connection! But now I have something to teach you!" Angel looked like she didn't know what to think as her mother cheered. Maya finally let Angel go and Angel questioned "So if I'm a Siren… does that mean I have a phase power? Let's see what it is!"

She was about to raise her hand until Maya stopped her and exclaimed "Let's wait until we are somewhere safer. You could have any of the remaining Siren powers. Phase mist has been out for about 21 years, Phase shift for about 18 years. The only ones remaining are Phase quake and the Siren Mother."

"I could be the Siren Mother! That is so awesome!"

Zer0 groaned "Hopefully not. I could live with you having Phase quake, but not all the powers." Angel cheered "That would be amazing! When can I start using my powers?" Maya scratched her head and replied "We would have to train you for a while before you can start using your powers to their fullest extent."

"What? Ugh, fine. Can I still go out with my friends today?"

"Yes, but don't try to use your powers. We don't know enough about them yet."

"Yes mother."

Zer0 and Maya left their daughter's room and sat on the couch that faced the TV. "I can't believe our daughter is a Siren!" Maya squealed. "Yes dear. Why are you so excited about this?"

"Well, Angel is almost the spitting image of you and you've trained her to be like an assassin. Now there's something I can teach her."

Zer0 chuckled "I love you Maya." She responded "I love you too Zer0." They heard Angel's door open and close. The two looked back to see their daughter in a black shirt and blue jeans with her new blade on her hip and sniper rifle on her back. "Where are you off to?" Zer0 questioned.

"Wherever. There isn't a set destination in mind." Angel answered. "Well, be careful." Maya exclaimed

"Yes mother. Bye! I'll be back!"

Angel walked out the door and Maya sighed "There goes our little girl." Zer0 put his arm around his wife and exclaimed "Yes, which leaves us alone." Maya looked at him with a glint in her eye as she questioned "What do you want to do now?" Zer0 smiled and kissed his wife.

O00000O00000O

Angel walked outside of her apartment building and headed towards the bridge. She was excited that her parents let go on her first adventure. Well, it wasn't much of an adventure since she was just going out with Patrick and Justin to test her sniper rifle out on some of the wildlife. She found Patrick and Justin waiting by the fast-travel station and greeted "Hey guys! Ready to go?" Justin questioned "Where exactly are we going?"

"I don't know. Where do you guys think we should go to test my new rifle out?"

The two turned to Patrick, who simply shrugged. Justin suggested "Why not go to the Fridge? I'm sure there are a few stalkers still out there, or the Rats." Angel replied "That sounds like a perfect idea. Let's go!" Angel went first and fast-travelled to the Fridge. She dropped down and looked around to see the area deserted.

Justin and Patrick dropped down after her and the trio set out into the Fridge. Angel drew her rifle and pointed it at the door. "Alright, open it." Angel ordered as Justin made his way to the wheel. He opened the door and Angel slid forward, ready to kill anything that threatened her or her family. She looked around and lowered her weapon since there was no life.

Bodies of rats littered the path through the Fridge, each burnt like they had been set on fire. Angel called "Guys! Come check this out!" Justin and Patrick ran over to her and looked around to see the carnage. "What happened here?" Justin questioned. "It looks like someone went crazy in here with an elemental weapon." They went over to a Lab Ray body that was slumped against a car. They looked over the body and Angel pointed out "This wasn't an elemental weapon."

"What do you mean?" Justin questioned. "There are no bullet holes. See?" Angel explained. She pointed to the chest and there was no signs of a weapon. "Well Rats don't just burst into flames!" Justin declared.

"It looks like the fire started at the Rat's chest and spread from there. But the only one that could do that is Lilith and I doubt the Commander of the Crimson Raiders is burning Rats for fun."

Patrick exclaimed "Electrocution." The two looked over at Patrick, who was crouched over another Rat corpse. They ran over to him and saw what he was talking about. This Rat looked like it had been electrocuted until it died. Angel went to another Rat body and saw it was melted, like it had been exposed to acid.

"What happened to these Rats?" Angel muttered. A cry pierced the silence of the Fridge, the cry of a Rat in pain. The three ran to the end of the broken highway and peered over the edge to see the source of the cry. A rat was surrounded by four men and they were torturing the rat. The one that seemed like the leader was a very built man with spiky red hair that looked like fire.

He was shirtless and wore black pants and black boots. The next had blue hair that stuck out like he put a fork in an electrical socket. His shirt was white and he wore blue jeans with black boots. The third man had long green hair that looked greasy. His shirt was yellow and he wore grassland camo pants.

The final man was bald and skinny like he hadn't eaten in days. His shirt was purple and he wore black pants like the first. He stepped forward and held his hand over the Rat, which slunk back out of fear. Angel used her sniper rifle to get a better look at what was happening near the door to the Highlands. She saw something drip out of the bald man's hand and drop onto the Rat.

Angel noticed the man's hand start to turn purple. It looked like it was a liquid, like his hand was slagged. Then it dawned on Angel _"He can create slag. Like Lilith can create fire and Mom can create acid."_ She watched as the man covered the Rat in slag and laughed "A little more kick for our fun." The red haired man laughed "Thanks Slag. More fun for me!"

The red haired man grabbed the Rat by the throat and laughed "I love the way they squirm." His arm caught fire and started to burn the Rat. Justin growled "These are not men. They are monsters." One of the things that Justin's dad taught him was never to torture anyone, even if they were bandits or creatures. "Put him down Inferno." The blue haired guy exclaimed. "Don't take all the fun."

Inferno dropped the Rat and laughed "My bad Electro. I just love the way they burn." Electro put a hand on the Rat's shoulder and Angel could see the electricity run from his arm into the Rat. The Rat convulsed until Electro removed his hand. "An electrical burn is more of my style. What about you Chem?" Electro asked. Chem's arm coated itself in acid and he started to drip on the Rat, causing it to flail in pain.

"This is my burn. Chemical burn." Chem proclaimed. Angel looked away from her scope and whispered "We have to leave!" Justin quietly barked "We can't just leave the Rat to be tortured!" Angel looked back through the scope and put her sights on the Rat. She took a single shot and ended the Rat's suffering.

All of the men looked up at them and Angel barked "Move!" The three got up and started running towards the exit of the Fridge. They were almost to the bridge when a wall of flames blocked their path. Angel spun around with her rifle ready when it was ripped from her hands. Inferno stood before her and exclaimed "What do we have here? I think you're a little lost."

The other three walked over to him and created a wall of evil. Angel drew her sword and ordered "Stay back! Take another step forward and I'll cut you down where you stand!" The men looked at each other and started laughing hysterically. "That is rich." Electro sighed as he walked to Angel's left. Justin tried to tackle Electro, but was met with a knee to the stomach that created sparks.

Patrick caught him and Angel noticed that Justin was smoking from a burn on his stomach where Electro kneed him. _"This is bad."_ Angel thought as her eyes darted from target to target. _"This is really bad. I don't know if I can take all of these guys on at once and protect Patrick and Justin."_ Inferno took a step forward and Angel swung her sword at him. He jumped back and laughed "Wow! Kitty got claws!" He took another step forward and Angel swung again.

This time, he expected it and dodged the swing, then grabbed Angel's wrist. She tried to punch him, but he caught her hand and laughed "You know what? You're kinda cute. Hey boy! Wanna have a little fun with this one before we kill her?" Angel threw her knee into his groin and he let her go. She was about to cut him down when she was punched in the face. She fell to the ground to see Electro and Chem standing next to Patrick and Justin.

Slag was shaking his hand out as Inferno stood up and declared "You know what? I'm just going to kill you, you little bitch." Angel stood up with her blade ready, even though she knew that fighting would be futile. Elector and Chem were ready to kill her friends once she started to fight and she wouldn't get to them fast enough with Slag and Inferno ready for her. She was fast, but not that fast. She didn't know what to do until Slag and Inferno were thrown into Chem and Slag.

Angel didn't know what happened to them until a large stalker, probably a badass, revealed itself. A guy about Angel's size jumped off its back and shouted "Let's go!" He wore a black hoodie with the hood up and blue jeans that appeared to have never been washed. He held out his hand to Angel and she noticed that it was robotic. The stalker growled and she looked to see the four men start to stand up.

"You little shit." Electro growled. "You are going to pay for that." The man turned towards the other men and held his arms up. Small blue lights, like electric rounds from a Maliwan shock SMG, flew from his forearms at the men. All of the men jumped out of the way of the rounds and the man shooting them shouted "Zver! Get those two and go home!" The stalker shot forward and grabbed Patrick, who was holding Justin.

The stalker turned and shot down a tunnel, disappearing from sight. The guy grabbed Angel's arm and barked "We're leaving!" He pulled her down the same tunnel the stalker disappeared down and jumped onto an icy floor. She could hear Chem shout "They went this way! Let's get them!" Angel wasn't sure where the man was taking her, all she knew is that it was better than back there… hopefully.

BOOM! Such questions, very cliffhanger, many thoughts, wow. Anyone? Probably shouldn't have done that. Anyway, who were those men that tortured the Rat? Who is the hooded hero that saved Angel and her friends? Those who read the original already know, but it's good to keep new readers guessing. Review or PM any thoughts, but a review would be appreciated.

-Chief


	3. Chapter 3: Run Away

10 points for anyone that can tell me what Zver means in what language. Here's a hint, it has something to do with our hooded friend that Angel has run into.

Chapter 3: Run Away

Angel wasn't sure where the hooded man was taking her, but it had to be better than what she was just dealing with. They ran through a large tube and entered a large, canyon-like area that was covered in stalker nests. _"I am going to die."_ Angel thought as they travelled deeper into the stalker territory. Angel finally gained her senses and stopped, causing the man to stop and turn towards her. She still couldn't see the man's face because the hood casted a shadow over him, but she could see a red dot on the left half of the shadow.

"I am not taking another step forward until you tell me who you are." Angel exclaimed. "This is neither the time nor the place for introductions." The man replied in a light accent. Angel recognized the accent from a commercial she saw on TV, _"He sounds like the guy from the Vladof commercial."_ Angel thought. "I'm not going anywhere without some answers." Angel exclaimed, standing her ground. "Then have fun getting eaten." The man proclaimed. "I really didn't want you to get killed by those psychopaths out there, but if you want to be so damn stubborn then be my guest."

The man turned and started walking away when Angel noticed something about the area they were in; there was a serious lack of stalkers in a stalker nest. Angel also noticed that when the man started to leave, the stalkers started to emerge from their nests. She saw every kind, rabid, poison, slagged, typhoon and badass. All of them had their eyes locked on her and they all looked hungry. All she had on her was her blade since Inferno ripped her sniper rifle from her hands.

Angel decided to not be torn apart by stalkers and caught up with the black hooded man. "Glad to see that you chose to trust me." The man exclaimed. "I'm choosing to not be killed by stalkers, I am not trusting you." Angel corrected.

"But there is some element of trust in it if you are choosing to follow me."

They came to a large clearing and Angel saw the large stalker, Zver if memory served, and Patrick and Justin at the center of it. Zver sat like a pet animal would and stood watch over Patrick and Justin. "Good boy." The man proclaimed as he scratched the side of Zver's head. "You'll get a treat when we get inside." Zver made a small roaring sound that Angel thought sounded happy. Zver moved aside and revealed a small patch of ice that looked slightly different from the rest of the ice.

The man knelt down and put his hand at the center of the patch, pushing down on it. The patch popped up to reveal handles on the sides and the man lifted it up to reveal a ladder. "Big guy, you go first and carry the little one." The man commanded as Zver jumped down the hole. Patrick looked to Angel with a worried look, like he was looking to her for an answer. Angel nodded and Patrick did as he was instructed.

The man turned to Angel and exclaimed "You next, I'll go next and shut the hatch." Angel nodded and started climbing down the ladder, hoping that she wasn't being led to her death. She went down to the bottom and was staring down a dimly lit tunnel that led to a metal door. Zver, Patrick and Justin waited there and the hooded man moved past her. He walked up to the door and Angel heard a clicking sound before the man opened the door.

"You can put your friend on the couch. Probably just in shock… no pun intended." The man proclaimed as he walked in. Zver shot past the man and disappeared into the room that Angel and her friends were entering. The room was fairly large and had a visible second floor. Angel could see a bed and a large stalker nest on the second floor, probably for the man and Zver. The main floor held a large work bench underneath the overhang with pieces of scrap metal and wiring.

Tools lined the wall ranging from mechanical to medical. The far wall held a kitchen area complete with refrigerator, sink and dishwasher and a washer and dryer next to the fridge. There was a large television that occupied the right wall with smaller screens all around it and a couch in front of them all. Patrick laid Justin on the couch as the man went to the fridge. He opened the large door and pulled out two things, a small jar of something green and a midget rat corpse.

He tossed the Rat to Zver, who was sitting on the overhang and waiting patiently for his treat. "Good boy." The man proclaimed as Zver caught the corpse. The man went to Justin and explained "This is a salve that should help with the burn he's going to have. Helps with the healing process." He lifted Justin's shirt to expose the wound he now had. The man opened the jar and spread a bit of the salve on Justin's wound.

"Just leave this on for about an hour, reapply every day and his would should be good in a week." The man finished as he handed Patrick the jar. He headed over to the work bench and removed his jacket, revealing the white shirt he was wearing underneath. His hair was short and black and his skin was a little pale. What surprised Angel the most was that both of his forearms were robotic, like Aunt Gaige's arm. Angel walked over to the work bench and saw him open his right arm and start poking at the wires.

Angel also noticed that the red light she saw earlier was actually his right eye. "You can grab something from the fridge if you're hungry or thirsty." He exclaimed. Angel didn't hear a word he said since she was amazed at how young he was, probably the same age she was. "Can you please not stare?" He questioned. "I feel like a freak show." Angel blurted "Sorry! It's just… how old are you exactly?"

"Eighteen last month. Why?"

"You're eighteen and you live here?"

"Not exactly a lot of places willing to take in an android war machine."

Angel's jaw hit the floor after he called himself a war machine. "What's your name?" Patrick questioned. "Nickoli." He answered. "So you do speak? I thought you were mute." Angel replied "Patrick just doesn't talk much. My name is Angel by the way, and our unconscious friend is Justin."

"Well it is nice to meet all of you. I don't get a lot of friendly visitors down here, gets a little lonely."

Angel heard Zver make a whimpering sound and Nickoli responded "Don't give me that Zver. I like a little human contact every once in a while." Zver whimpered again and Nickoli grumbled "Yeah, yeah, yeah." Nickoli returned to working on his arm and Angel questioned "How did you get like this? How did you end up here?"

"You know the Vladof Corporation?"

"Yeah."

"Well, since Vladof is a high contender against Hyperion and now Maliwan for control, the founder of Vladof decided that we needed better fighters to combat our adversaries. He wanted to create cybernetic soldiers to fight… what you see before you is the result."

Angel threw her hands over her mouth and gasped "You were… an experiment?" Nickoli sighed "The beginning stages of the entire project… a guinea pig to see if I would live."

"How could they do this to you? How could your parents let this happen?"

"Parents? Mom died two years after I was born during a Hyperion raid and Dad… Dad is the one who did this to me. My full name is Nickoli Vladof."

Angel noticed the grip Nickoli had on his screwdriver tighten as he growled "If I ever see that son of a bitch again… I'm going to make him pay for this. He wanted a war machine? Well now he's got one." Angel put a hand on his shoulder and comforted "It's okay. He can't get to you here." Nickoli relaxed a bit and sighed "Thanks, it's been a while since…" Nickoli immediately threw his head forward, slamming it on the table and bellowed "FUCK! ZVER!" Zver jumped down and grabbed a screwdriver from the wall of tools.

Zver handed Nickoli the tool and he threw his shirt off. Angel went wide eyed as she looked at the large metal spine that ran up Nickoli's back and started sparking. He used the screw driver and stuck it into the small of his spine. He started twisting the tool until the sparking stopped. Nickoli sat back down and panted "I hate those nerve shocks."

Zver nudged Nickoli's leg and whimpered until Nickoli proclaimed "I'm alright Zver. I'm alright." Zver recognized that Nickoli was okay and returned to his spot on the overhang. "What was that?" Angel questioned. "Nerve shock." Nickoli answered. "The metal spin is what allows me to control my arms, connecting wires to my nerves. Like I said before, I was a guinea pig so everything wasn't exactly perfected just yet."

"But I know plenty of people who have robotic limbs and that doesn't happen to them."

"Yeah, but how many have a robotic spine made from a planet at war with either a different corporation or itself?"

Angel had to stop since Nickoli was a special case when it came to robotic limbs, she didn't know anybody with his condition. "I've learned to live with it." He sighed. Angel declared "I know someone who can help you."

"I doubt anyone could help me."

"Well I do. Come back with us and we can get you the help you need."

Nickoli looked at her with a cold look and exclaimed "I don't recall asking for help." Angel was going to make a return comment when she heard Justin groan "What happened?" Angel ran to her friend and wrapped her arms around him crying "I'm so glad you're okay!" Justin weakly chuckled "Yeah… I'm okay." Nickoli proclaimed from his workbench "You should get him to a real doctor to see if there was any more damage."

"Who's this guy?"

Angel answered "His name is Nickoli. He saved us from those psychos earlier after you passed out." Justin sat up and groaned "Thanks for saving us." Nickoli replied "Not a problem." Angel went over to Nickoli and exclaimed "You really should come with us. We know a great engineer who can help you with you robotic parts." Nickoli ran his hand through his hair and sighed "Why are you so intent on trying to help me when I clearly don't want or need your help?"

"Because I am in your debt, and my father taught me that a debt should always be repaid."

"You aren't going to let this go until I come without."

"Not a chance. Something I got from both of my parents."

Nickoli stood up and threw his shirt back on. "I guess I don't have much of a choice then." Nickoli grumbled as he grabbed his hoodie. "Zver, hold down the fort while I'm gone. I'll be back soon." Zver made a whimpering noise and Nickoli comforted "I'll be back soon. Don't worry." Nickoli turned to Angel and questioned "So are we going or not?" Angel smiled at the fact he finally accepted her help and questioned "Justin, are you good to walk?"

Justin got up from the couch and declared "I'll be fine. Let's head home." Angel nodded and announced "We're ready to go!" Nickoli chuckled "What a group we are. A kid in over his head, a guy who barely talks, a skag-stubborn siren and a runaway cyber soldier with a badass stalker as a pet. What are we waiting for?" The others smiled and followed their new friend out of his home.

BOOM! Nickoli Vladof everybody! Son of the founder of Vladof and a cyber-soldier to boot! Those who read the original will know where this goes, but for those who don't, stay tuned!


	4. Chapter 4: Fixer Upper

So updates are going back to just Saturdays because work is getting pretty hectic and I can't find a ton of time during the week. Soooo… yeah. NEW CHAPTER! (INSERT GUITAR SOLO!)

Chapter 4: Fixer Upper

Nickoli continually questioned why he was following this Siren and her friends as they made their way through the stalker tunnel. _"Why am I following these three?" _Nickoli thought. _"I am perfectly happy living in my basement with my stalker. Still, it is nice to actually talk to people for once." _Angel spun as she was walking and questioned "So Nickoli, how long have you been living here in the Fridge?" He answered "A little over a year. I ran here after my father used me as a guinea pig."

"That's just… just terrible."

"I know. Can we talk about anything else other than that?"

"I have a question." Justin proclaimed. "Why are we not being attacked by stalkers?" Nickoli answered "Because they recognize me as the leader of the pack since I killed the one that originally led the pack."

"That's pretty cool. So do you have your own stalker army?"

"Not really. They just don't attack me or people around me."

"That's cool."

They made it to the structure where the tunnel started and Nickoli proclaimed "I'll go first and make sure that it's safe." Angel protested "You aren't going up there alone. I'm going with you."

"Yeah, I'm going with no on that one."

She put her hands on her hips and repeated "I'm going with you." Nickoli sighed "Again, it doesn't matter what I say, you're going to do what you want." Angel smirked and replied "Now you're starting to get it. Let's get going!" Nickoli shook his head and thought _"Stubborn Siren."_ He climbed up the ladder and waited for Angel to follow him.

She jumped up the ladder and drew her blade. "Impressive blade. Where did you get it?" Nickoli complimented. "My dad gave it to me and thank you." Angel replied. Nickoli activated his barrels and pointed his arms out in case anything was going to jump them. The two moved out of the structure and observed the deserted area.

Nickoli spotted the area were there the fire guy created the fire wall, but there was no one around. Nickoli lowered his arms and proclaimed "Looks like there's no one left so it's safe." Angel put her blade away and called back "Its safe guys. We can head out." Justin and Patrick emerged from the structure and the group headed for the fast-travel station. As they approached the station, Angel ordered "Justin, you go first so Nickoli can travel after you."

Justin nodded and travelled first, allowing Nickoli to follow after him. Nickoli dropped down and was stuck in awe at the amazing city that was before him. His home planet was almost constantly at war, trying to fight off any corporation that tried to take over. The sky was almost always painted a constant crimson from the amount of blood shed. This city seemed more peaceful and suited for human life than his home.

The lights that bounced off the glass basically stunned him enough to leave him standing and gawking like a moron. He heard Angel exclaim next to him "You might want to close your mouth before a rakk flies into it." Nickoli closed his mouth and turned to Angel, causing his mouth to drop again. The way the light hit her made her look beautiful. _"She's gorgeous."_ Nickoli couldn't help but think.

She reached up and closed his mouth for him, laughing "Come on. Let's get you to a specialist for your arms and spine." She turned to Justin and Patrick and proclaimed "Get Justin to a real doctor. We'll all meet up and talk to someone about those men that we ran into." The two nodded and headed off into the city, probably towards a hospital. "Here, I'll take the lead. Just follow me." Angel exclaimed as she started walking. Nickoli followed her the best he could since he was practically mesmerized by the city.

He followed Angel into a building marked "Research and Development" and they walked past the door. They went down the stairs into a massive room that looked more like a garage than a place for research to occur. Nickoli could see pieces of Hyperion loaders all over the floor to the right and vehicle parts to the right. At the center was a desk with a glowing red light on it. Angel walked up to the desk and pressed the light, making a loud buzzer sound through the garage.

Nickoli looked around and saw some movement in the large pile of loader parts. He saw a robotic arm pop out of the pile and a woman climb out. She had long red hair that was tied back and a pair of goggles sat on her head. She wore a jean jacket with the name "Gaige" printed on the right side and jeans that were covered in oil. Her green eyes sparkled as she greeted "Hey there Angel! Where's your rifle at?"

Angel had a panicked look and replied "It was kinda stolen from me Aunt Gaige." Gaige looked angry and barked "What!? Who stole it?! I'll kill them!" Nickoli was surprised to see an adult act more like a child. "Don't worry Aunt Gaige. We'll find the guys that did. I'm actually here to talk to you about my friend here." Gaige's attitude changed and asked "What about your friend? Who is he?"

"His name is Nickoli. He saved mine, Justin's and Patrick's life and now I owe him a huge favor."

"So what can I do?"

Nickoli lifted the sleeves on his jacket, revealing his robotic forearms and proclaiming "Maybe you can help with this?" Gaige walked over to him and started inspecting his arms. "Here, follow me." She proclaimed after inspecting for a moment. She started walking towards the back and Nickoli and Angel followed her. She took them to the back of the garage where was a massive work bench with tools all over the wall behind it.

She pulled up a seat and proclaimed "Sit and let me get a look at your arms again." Nickoli did as she asked and sat while holding his arms out. She reached to his forearms and detached them from his arms, leaving him with just the metal plates where his metal arms connected. Gaige placed them on the work bench and returned with a different set of robotic arms that looked like hers. "I'm going to take a closer look at you prosthetics." Gaige proclaimed as she attached the new arms. "Probably start from scratch so it might take a bit before I get you your new prosthetics. Is there anything else I can help with?"

Nickoli answered "There is one thing." He turned around and lifted the back, revealing the cybernetic spine he had. He heard Gaige exclaim "I'm not really going to try and tamper with your spine since I could kill you."

"So where can I go about my spine? I get nerve shocks a lot and I would rather not deal with it anymore."

"Head over to the hospital and ask for Dr. Havoc. She's great with neural cybernetics like your case. Tell her that I sent you."

"Thank you. We'll head over there now."

Nickoli and Angel said their goodbyes and headed towards the hospital. As they walked to the hospital, Nickoli thought _"She's so nice, helping me get myself in better condition."_ Nickoli questioned "Hey Angel, can I tell you something?" She stopped and turned to him, proclaiming "Sure, what's up?"

"I just want to say thanks."

"For what?"

"For helping me. I know it sounds strange, but I'm just not used to people helping me out."

Angel smiled and lightly punched his shoulder, exclaiming "Not a problem Nicki. That's what friends are for." Nickoli sighed "Right, friends. It's been a while since I had any."

"Well you don't need to worry since I'm your friend, and so are Justin and Patrick. We'll help you out just like you helped us out."

Nickoli couldn't help but stare at his new Siren friend since she was his first real friend since he ran away from home. That, and he couldn't help but think that she was really pretty. _"Of course she's pretty, she's a Siren. They're supposed to be pretty."_ Nickoli thought. They continued walking until they reached the Crimson City General Hospital. The place seemed like a normal hospital with nurses and patients all around the first floor.

They walked up to the front desk and Angel proclaimed "We're here to see Dr. Havoc." The nurse behind the desk exclaimed without looking away from her computer "Do you have an appointment?"

"We were sent here by Gaige."

"Third floor, left down the hall then take a right and last door on the left."

"Thank you. Let's go Nicki."

Nickoli rolled his eyes and sighed "Don't call me Nicki." They entered the elevator and Angel laughed "But it's my nickname for you." Nickoli chuckled "Well I don't like it." She nudged him with her elbow and giggled "You'll get used to it Nicki." The elevator dung and the two followed the nurse's directions to Dr. Havoc's office.

Angel opened the door and they saw a basic office with a desk near the back wall with a computer on it. A records shelf occupied the left was and a book shelf occupied the right. A woman sat behind the desk and typed away at the computer. She had short brown hair and wore green medical scrubs. "I'm guessing you two are Angel and Nickoli?" She proclaimed as she looked at them with soft brown eyes.

Angel responded "Yes ma'am. Gaige sent us here because…" Dr. Havoc interrupted "I know why you're here. Gaige called and told me. So you have a cybernetic spine?" Nickoli responded "Yes ma'am." Nickoli turned around and lifted the back of his shirt to reveal his spine. "Wow. This is some pretty shitty work." Dr. Havoc exclaimed as she looked over Nickoli's spine. "Whoever did this had no real idea on how to conduct bio cybernetics. It's a miracle you aren't dead."

"I do get nerve shocks every once in a while."

He turned to see Dr. Havoc with a worried face as she questioned "How long has these nerve shocks been happening?" Nickoli responded "For about three or four months." Dr. Havoc immediately pulled out an ECHO device and exclaimed into it "Get the team ready for surgery, NOW!" She put her ECHO down and explained "Look kid, those nerve shocks are your body rejecting the hardware. If that cybernetic spine has replaced your real one, then it is a good chance you could die. So let's get you into surgery now." She started pushing Nickoli out the door and Angel followed, thinking _"Am I seriously going to lose my friend already? No, he'll be fine."_

They ran into the surgery room and Dr. Havoc had Nickoli lay on the table face down. Four other doctors were practically running around the room to get everything set up. "Hey Angel." Nickoli called to her. She stood next to him and replied "Yes?"

"If something goes wrong, and I don't make it…"

"You can tell me when you get out of here. You're going to be fine, so no worries, got it?"

Nickoli smiled and replied "Got it." Dr. Havoc put a hand on Angel's shoulder and exclaimed "I'm going to have to ask you to step out. We'll give you a call when your boyfriend's done here." Angel felt her cheeks get hot as she exclaimed "He's not my boyfriend. We're friends."

"Right, anyway, you can go."

Angel nodded and exclaimed "I'll see you when you get out." Nickoli simply smiled and waved s she walked out. Angel headed home and thought _"Why would she assume we're dating? I mean, it's not like we were acting like a couple… were we? I'm thinking to into it."_ Angel arrived home and sighed "This is going to be tough to explain to Mom and Dad." She opened the door to find her home empty.

"_Mom and Dad are probably out right now."_ Angel thought as she sat on the couch. _"I just hope Nickoli will make it out okay."_

BOOM! A little deviation from the original, but I think it's nice. Anyway, review or PM any thoughts on the story or whatever you feel. Suggestions and criticism are welcome. Oh, and 10 D3m0n1c points to metimesthree for the correct answer. Zver means beast in Russian.

-Chief


	5. Chapter 5: Putting Nickoli Together

Chapter 5: Putting Nickoli Together

Angel watched TV until she heard the front door open and looked to see her parents walking through. "Hey Angel." Her dad greeted. "We didn't expect to see you until tonight. Did you have fun on your adventure?" Angel stood up and sighed "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about." Her parents face's changed from joyous to concerned. Her mother walked around and sat on the couch next to Angel.

"What happened?" She questioned. Angel took a deep breath and explained everything that happened to her and her friends in the Fridge. Her parents were incredibly quiet and she noticed her father's face was stone cold. She never like seeing that face since it always led to her being in trouble. "Have you told anyone about this?" Her father finally asked.

"Justin's and Patrick's family probably know by now. Other than us and Nickoli, no one else knows."

"Alright, I'll call up Axton and Krieg. See what they know about this. I want to meet this… Nickoli and see what he knows."

Her dad headed for the phone and picked it up. "What's going to happen now?" Angel questioned. "We'll have to tell Lilith about this." Her mother proclaimed. "She has to learn about these… Elemental Men. They are like the creatures here, able to use elements, and we need to learn more about them. I'm sure Lilith will want to meet Nickoli as well." Angel nodded and exclaimed "The hospital said that they would call me when he was out of surgery." Her mother nodded as Angel's dad walked over to them. "Axton and Krieg know about the situation at hand. We'll meet with Lilith tomorrow to discuss the plan for these Elemental Men and see what comes up." He explained.

Angel nodded and went to her room to think about what they would next. She grabbed a book and read for a while until her ECHO went off. She answered "Hello?" A woman's voice proclaimed "Angel? It's Dr. Havoc." She sat up and exclaimed "Is Nickoli okay?"

"He's fine. The operation was a success and he's going to be just fine. He's recovering right now. You can come see him since he should be awake when you get here."

"Thank you Doc. I'm on my way."

Angel walked out of her room and proclaimed "Nickoli is going to be fine. I'm going to go see how he's doing." Her dad got up from the couch and proclaimed "I'm going with you. I want to meet Nickoli." Angel nodded and her and her father went to the hospital. They found where Nickoli was and went up to his room to find him lying in bed with Dr. Havoc sitting by his bed. Angel smiled when she saw Nickoli's eyes lazily open and he smiled.

"There's my little Angel." Nickoli proclaimed in a tired tone. "Here to bring the light to my life." Angel felt a blush reach her cheeks as Dr. Havoc chuckled "He's still under the side effects of the anesthetics, so he maybe a little loopy. I'll leave you with him." Dr. Havoc left and Angel too her place by Nickoli's side. "How are you feeling Nicki?" She questioned. "A lot better with you by my side." Nickoli exclaimed.

Angel brushed some of her hair behind her ear as her dad cleared his throat. "Oh, right. Nickoli, this is my dad." Nickoli lazily turned towards her dad and exclaimed "Hi Mr. Angel." Her dad chuckled and corrected "Its Mr. Zer0 to you. I just wanted to thank you personally for saving my daughter. If you ever need anything, you can come to me."

"Yes Sir Mr. Zer0!"

Angel's dad chuckled and shook his head, exclaiming "I'll be taking my leave now. Don't be out too late Angel. I will lock you out… again." Angel responded "Yes Dad." Her father left and she turned back to Nickoli, who had a large smile on his face. "You're so pretty." He complimented. Angel rolled her eyes and laughed "That just the anesthetics talking."

"I mean it Angel. I think you're really pretty and you're really sweet and…"

"You should get some sleep Nickoli."

"Can you please stay for a bit?"

She looked at Nickoli to see him staring at the ceiling with a sad look on his face. "I don't want to be alone anymore." He cried as he brought the back of his left hand to his face. "I just don't want to be alone." She took his right hand and comforted "You don't have to be alone. I'll stay right here with you." He didn't seem to notice and continued to cry "I don't want to be alone." Angel put her other hand on his shoulder and repeated "I'm right here Nicki. You aren't alone."

He turned towards her and sniffed "Thank you Angel." She smiled and replied "It's okay. I want to hear a little more about your family. Not your dad, but about the rest of your family. What were they like?"

"Mom was really sweet. She basically raised me and my brother, Zakhar, the best she could since dad was never around. Mom always had to pull me and my brother out of trouble since we got into fights a lot. Me and my brother seemed to go in different directions growing up. I always kept quiet and to myself, but Zakhar was always easy to get angry."

"Was he your older brother?"

"Yeah. He's probably 25 by now, I've lost track of the days since I left. He was a soldier, special operations and could never really talk about work. He always fought my fights for me. Always said I needed to toughen up."

"You are strong Nicki. You were able to survive in the Fridge for a long period of time where most can't survive an hour."

"Thank you Angel."

They continued to talk until they both fell asleep. Angel was woken up by someone pushing on her shoulder. She shot up and heard Gaige proclaim "Sorry to wake you up Angel." Angel rubbed her eyes and yawned "It's okay. What is it Auntie Gaige?"

"I've just got Nickoli's arms ready for him. Could you wake him up?"

Angel replied "Sure." She looked over at him to see him sleeping peacefully with her fingers still intertwined with his. She smiled and pushed on his shoulder, proclaiming "Wake up Nicki. Gaige has your arms." Nickoli groaned "Don't call me Nicki." She laughed "Well then wake up." Nickoli rubbed his eyes and sat up in his bed, grumbling "I'm up. I'm up."

He turned towards Gaige and proclaimed "You have my arms?" Gaige set them in his lap and exclaimed "Yep. Made them from scratch for you." Nickoli observed his new arms and thought _"These things are completely different from what my other arms looked like." _His others arms were rusted and felt bulky, feeling a tingling in his left hand at all times. These were a dark metal and very shiny.

He picked it up and it was pretty light weight compared to his others. "Here," Gaige proclaimed, "try them out." She reached over and pulled off one of his arms and replaced it with his new arm. It felt so much better than his old one, felt more… natural. Gaige replaced his other arm and he stared at his new parts.

"I had Havoc replace your adapters too." Gaige exclaimed. "So you should have better feelings in your arms. Try them out." Nickoli questioned as he tapped his thumbs to each finger "What exactly are you saying?"

"You have feeling in your arms. You can feel things now, where as you couldn't with your other arms."

Nickoli looked at his hands and thought _"I can feel again?"_ He looked at Angel and brought a hand to her cheek, feeling the warmth and softness of her skin. Her cheeks turned red and he felt her skin grow warmer as he exclaimed "Your skin is so soft. I figured it would be soft." Gaige proclaimed "Then it looks like my work here is done! Have a nice night you two. Angel, your dad has probably locked you out by now, so you are welcome to stay with us as usual and so is Nickoli." Angel proclaimed "Thanks Auntie Gaige. I'll be around soon."

Gaige walked out, leaving the two kids alone in the room. "I wonder what kind of upgrades Gaige put into these." Nickoli pondered out loud. "Why don't we go test them out?" Angel suggested. "The close combat training area doesn't close and no one really uses it at this hour. We'd have the whole place to ourselves."

"Then let's get going!"

Nickoli hopped out of bed and checked out of the hospital. The two headed for the close combat training area and entered the building to find it deserted. Angel walked to the center of the room and drew her blade. She turned to face Nickoli and proclaimed "Are you ready to go?" Nickoli took a fighting stance and declared "I'm not going easy on you."

"I don't count on it."

She shot forward with massive speed and swung her blade at him. Nickoli reacted and blocked the swing with his forearms, filling the arena with a massive clang. She swung to his side and he blocked that blow too. The two continually clashed blows and Nickoli thought _"I don't think I can keep this up much longer."_ She swung at him and he grabbed her blade mid swing.

The blade stung his hand, but he knew there was no damage since his arms were fine. She threw a punch at her, but she ducked under it. She delivered a punch to his stomach that knocked the wind out of him. He stumbled back, trying to catch his breath when he saw Angel start to swing a kick at him. He moved back so the kick just missed him and he raised his arm.

He was hoping Gaige included his energy guns in his new arm, but what he got was very different. His hand opened up into a cannon and it was pointed directly at Angel. He threw his hand up and the cannon fired, making a very large hole in the ceiling of the building. "Are you TRYING to kill me?" Angel barked. "It was an accident I swear!" Nickoli defended.

"You blew a hole in the ceiling!"

"It was that or I shoot you and I REALLY didn't want to do that!"

Angel pinched the bridge of her nose and grumbled "Can we try this again without you trying to shoot me?" Nickoli sighed "Alright. And sorry about almost shooting you." The two took fighting positions again and charged each other. Angel swung her blade and Nickoli deflected it then tried to swing at her. She ducked under the punch and delivered one to his stomach again.

"_Man I just don't learn."_ Nickoli thought as he doubled over. Angel delivered a knee straight to his face and knocked him flat on his back. He was going to jump up but Angel jumped on top of him and put her blade to his throat. "I win." She proclaimed with a smug smile. "Alright. You win Angel." Nickoli chuckled.

She got off of him and held out her hand to help him up. He got up to his feet and asked "Is there any place we can get something to eat? I'm pretty hungry." Angel answered "I'm sure there's someplace that is still open. Let's go grab some food." The two left the area in search of any food purveyor that was still open. They found a burger joint that was still open and grabbed a bite to eat.

The two sat on a bench and ate their food and chatted. "So your parents are Maya and Zer0. The Vault Hunters that brought down Handsome Jack and brought the Crimson Raiders to power." Nickoli confirmed. "Yep. Mom and Dad started dating a little bit after the fall of Handsome Jack. It was a year later that I was born." Angel explained.

"So all of your skills with a sword come from you dad?"

"Yes, and Mom is going to teach me a little more about my Siren powers soon."

Angel held out her arm and displayed her tattoos to Nickoli. "Child of an assassin and a Siren. Having qualities of both. Amazing." Nickoli proclaimed. "Yep. I'm sure that you have some qualities from your parents too." Angel assured, nudging him with her shoulder.

"If only it was my dad's brain to help with my robotic parts."

"No, but you are sweet like your mother."

Nickoli looked at her with a raised eyebrow and questioned "How do you know my mother is sweet?" Angel answered "Because you told me she was. And that your brother, Zakhar, is Special Forces."

"When did I tell you this?"

"When you were high off anesthetics."

"Did I say anything else?"

Angel felt a blush creep across her face and exclaimed "You also said that I was pretty, and that I was your little Angel that brought the light into your life." She looked at Nickoli to see his face was pretty red as he scratched the back of his head. "You were pretty loopy." Angel exclaimed, trying to break the silence. "Saying crazy stuff like that." There was silence between them again until Nickoli proclaimed "I wasn't really speaking crazy." Angel felt her face turn a bright red as Nickoli went on "I… I really like you Angel. I think you're smart, you're sweet, an amazing fighter and… I also think you're really pretty."

Angel couldn't look up from her own feet, especially since she knew what she was about to do. "Nickoli," Angel sighed, "thank you for the compliments, but I just don't feel the same way about you." She heard Nickoli audibly sigh as she went on "You are a really great guy, but I just don't think of you in any other way other than a friend." Nickoli grumbled "Really should have just said that it was the anesthetics talking."

"Sorry about all that."

"It's okay."

He put a hand on her shoulder, causing Angel to look up to see his smiling face. "I'm perfectly happy to just be friends." He added. Angel smiled and proclaimed "Good. We should probably head over to Aunt Gaige's and Uncle Axton's since we have to go talk to Aunt Lilith tomorrow."

"Alright. Lead the way."

The two got up and Angel led the way towards their home for the night.

So there you have it! A little deviation from the original story, but have no fear! I have a plan (sort of) for the two of them. You all know the drill, review or PM any thoughts or suggestions on the chapter or what you want to see.

- Chief


	6. Chapter 6: Diplomacy

Heyo! Sorry about not posting for a good chunk of time. Been pretty busy with work and other military BS. Regardless, NEW CHAPTER!

Chapter 6: Diplomacy

Nickoli was woken up to someone pushing on his shoulder. Nickoli opened his eyes to see a man in his mid-forties with tossed brown hair and five o clock shadow. He was holding a paper in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. "You're in my seat." The man grumbled. Nickoli realized that it was Major General Axton, leader of the Crimson Raider Army.

"Sorry sir!" Nickoli blurted as he jumped of the chair. Axton grunted and sat down in his seat, opening the paper as he sipped from his coffee. "So you're Angel's new boyfriend?" Axton questioned. "No sir. We're just friends." Nickoli answered.

"Gaige said that you two were flirting with each other nonstop at the hospital."

"I was a little out of it due to the anesthetics."

"I guess that's good. Zer0 would have killed you if you two started dating."

Nickoli gulped at the thought of Zer0 going after him for dating Angel, especially since he really wanted to. "Anyway, you and your friends have a meeting with Commander Lilith about those Elemental Men you ran into the other day." Axton updated as he sipped from his coffee. "Just thought I would let you know about that." Nickoli thanked "Thank you sir." Nickoli took a seat on the couch and watched the news as it came on the television. Angel walked out of a door to Nickoli's left, hair stuck up in every direction and eyes barely open.

"Morning sunshine." Axton chuckled. "Morning Uncle Ax." Angel yawned. Angel rubbed her eyes and greeted "Morning Nicki." Nickoli rolled his eyes and greeted "Good morning Angel." Angel sat down next to Nickoli and yawned "How did you sleep last night?" Nickoli was going to answer when General Axton responded "Your boyfriend slept pretty well since it took a bit to get him up."

"He isn't my boyfriend. We're just friends."

"I know. He told me, but Gaige also told me about you two at the hospital."

Nickoli felt his face go red since he did tell Angel how he felt and she rejected him. "Nickoli was just high off anesthetics." Angel informed. "Sure thing Angel, you know about your meeting with Commander Lilith?" Axton questioned.

"Yeah, Dad let me know with the ECHO."

"Alright. Meeting's at noon."

Angel nodded and Gaige walked out of her room, cheering "Good morning!" Nickoli responded "Good morning ma'am."

"There's no need for ma'am! Just Mrs. Gaige is fine."

Nickoli nodded and the morning continued like every other, breakfast with idle chatter until it was time to go. The group showered and changed, then headed for the Crimson Raider HQ in the Waterfront District. The massive glass building shined bright, like a beacon of hope for Pandora that there could be peace. Nickoli gazed up at the building in awe, still dumbstruck by the city and its beauty. "If you keep staring at the buildings like that," Angel poked at, "you'll go blind."

Nickoli didn't look at Angel out of fear of falling into his feelings of her. The group continued into the building and the insides appeared to be like a normal office building. Gaige and Axton led Angel, Nickoli and Justin to the elevator and headed for the 12th floor, command center. The doors opened to reveal a hallway with dark blue carpet and doors along both sides. The group headed for the meeting room and found it very occupied.

Zer0 and Maya sat on the left side while Tannis, Krieg and Patrick sat on the other. There were three people Nickoli didn't recognize in the room as well. The first was a man wearing a neat uniform and a pair of goggles. His brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail and was skinny as a rail. The second guy was a behemoth that towered over everyone else.

He wore a uniform similar to the other man's, but the sleeves looked like they had… exploded. Probably due to the behemoth's massive arms. The last person was a woman with bright red hair, almost like fire. She looked at the group and exclaimed "Good, everyone is here. Now we can get to this important message." Everyone took a seat while the uniformed people remained standing at the head of the table.

The woman's eyes stopped on Nickoli, eyes burning like fire. "I'm assuming you are Nickoli?" She proclaimed. "Yes ma'am." Nickoli responded.

"I am Commander Lilith, these are my best men, Mordecai and Brick."

Mordecai nodded while Brick exclaimed "Sup." Nickoli nodded at the two as Lilith exclaimed "All of you know why we are here. These kids stumbled into something big. I want to hear it from them." Angel spoke up and explained "Me, Justin and Patrick went to the Fridge. We found a large number of Rats that were killed using elements. We heard screams and found it coming from a rat being tortured by the four Elemental Men." Lilith listened intently as Angel told the story.

"Do you know anything about them?"

"Inferno uses fire, Electro uses electricity, Chem uses corrosion and Slag uses… well, slag. They found us and would have killed if Nickoli hadn't shown up."

Lilith looked back at Nickoli and questioned "Did you save these three?" Nickoli responded "Yes ma'am. I had Sver, my stalker, get me there as fast as possible. We arrived just in time and saved them."

"I see. Thank you for saving them, but now we have a more pressing matter. Where exactly did these men come from?"

"I don't know ma'am. They simply showed up in the Fridge and started killing."

Lilith scratched her chin and asked "Does anyone have any clue where these Elemental Men came from?" The room was silent after Lilith asked, until Brick suggested "What about Maliwan?" Mordecai agreed "Yeah, they always were curious about the extent of elemental tech. Why wouldn't they try to give people the power of the elements?" Lilith chimed in "I'll see if Maliwan will give me an audience. For the rest of you, stay quiet about this. There is no need to cause a panic among the masses about this. Am I clear?" Everyone nodded and Lilith proclaimed "Then you are released, and Angel."

Angel stood up straight and Lilith apologized "Sorry about missing your party. Duty calls." Angel smiled and replied "It's okay Auntie Lilith. I hope you find out who was behind these men." Lilith nodded and exited the room with Mordecai and Brick right behind her. "Do you really think that Maliwan is behind this?" Mordecai questioned. "I don't know." Lilith replied. "But it is our best guess. They have been making a stand in certain areas on Pandora. Wurmwater, Eridium Blight, Middle of Nowhere, Trash Coast are just a few places Maliwan has shown up at."

"Do you think they would go to the lengths of human experimenting?" Brick questioned. "Hyperion was doing it," Lilith reminded, "why would Maliwan not? I'll just make a friendly call about it." Lilith made it to her office and exclaimed "Return to your duties. I'll let you both know if I find anything." The two nodded and Lilith walked into her office. She sat on her desk and looked at the large glass panel on the wall.

"Call Maliwan HQ, inform them it is Commander Lilith calling." Lilith stated. The screen lit up with a phone icon as the call tried to go through. The screen changed to show a woman in a black business suit and glasses. Her hair was slick and black, tied into a tight bun. "Commander Lilith." She stated. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" Lilith replied "Mrs. Maliwan, I'm just here to ask a few questions regarding an incident that occurred a few days ago."

"Well this is a coincidence, I needed to call you as well."

Lilith felt a twinge in her gut since she really didn't want Brick to be right about Maliwan being behind these Elemental Men. "We had three kids run into four individuals. They were reported to have been using elemental powers." Lilith updated. "Since your company mainly deals in elemental weaponry, I was wondering if you had any information." Mrs. Maliwan simply watched Lilith speak with a wide smile. "Amazing isn't it?" She finally spoke.

"What is?"

"How the creatures of this planet can harness the elements, while we humans can't?"

"I'm not sure where you're going with this."

Mrs. Maliwan punched in a few keys on her keyboard and a small video started to play on the screen. It showed a white lab with three doctors standing around a man strapped to a table. One doctor held out a needle that was filled with a purple liquid, probably eridium. The doctor injected it into the man, causing him to scream in pain. "Now start to heat the table." The doctor exclaimed.

The table started to glow red and the man screamed even louder. Lilith threw her hand over her mouth at the sight of the experiment. The man's brown hair started to turn lighter as the screams turned to laughter. "With a little Eridium and the proper attunement to the elements," Mrs. Maliwan explained, "we humans may be able to wield the elements just as creatures do." Lilith brought her hand down and stammered "You… you made these men."

"A miracle of science, wouldn't you agree?"

"More like a nightmare. Why would you do this to people?"

"He and the others volunteered for this. The three children stepped in on a classified field test of the experiment's capabilities. I ask you now for the three that saw this."

Lilith's eyes widened at Mrs. Maliwan's request for Angel, Justin and Patrick. "Why do you want the kids?" Lilith questioned. "We simply need to… properly debrief the children on what they saw." Mrs. Maliwan explained. "They need to know that what they saw was sensitive information. That is all."

"Debrief? You don't just debrief kids on classified information!"

Lilith put a hand to her forehead and barked "You remove people who have seen that kind of stuff." Mrs. Maliwan sighed and exclaimed "You really do understand the workings of corporations. Yes, as sad as it is, the children must be… disposed of to prevent any further information leaks." Lilith lowered her hand to reveal her eyes burning like fire. "You will not be taking the kids." Lilith growled.

"If you will not surrender the children willingly, then we will have to take them by force."

Lilith didn't respond, she simply hung up on Mrs. Maliwan and stared at the glass screen and sighed. Lilith picked up her phone and dialed. The phone rang and Maya answered "Hello?" Lilith responded "Hey Maya. Is Nickoli there? I need to speak with him."

"Yes, one second."

She heard the ECHO being passed off and Nickoli answered "Yes Commander Lilith?"

"Can you head over to the HQ? I need to ask you a few questions."

"Yes ma'am. I'll be right there."

Lilith hung up and headed for the entrance of the HQ. She stopped by the front door after she walked out, waiting on Nickoli. He ran up to her and exclaimed "What did you need to ask me Commander?" Lilith smiled at the young man and proclaimed "Walk with me." She started walking and Nickoli followed her as she made her way into the city.

"So how are you enjoying Crimson City?" Lilith questioned. "Zer0 told me that you have been living in the Fridge." Nickoli responded "I am enjoying the city ma'am."

"You can stop with the ma'am stuff. You're making me feel old."

"Sorry ma… sorry."

"No worries kid. So where are you planning on staying?"

She looked over at Nickoli, who was scratching the back of his head. "I really don't have a place to stay." Nickoli replied. "I was just going to head back to the Fridge." Lilith laughed and proclaimed "Why don't you come stay with me? I could use the company."

"Thank you, but I will have to decl…"

"It wasn't really an offer, more like an order."

Lilith put her hand on Nickoli's shoulder, who smiled and replied "Thank you Lilith. Is that really all you had to ask me?" Lilith responded "No, I have a few more, but they can wait until we get home." Lilith and Nickoli headed for a small building in the northern part of town. They walked in and Lilith announced "Welcome to your new home! I know it isn't much, but there is plenty of room for us both." She looked at Nickoli, who seemed like a fish out of water.

"Take a seat. Relax a bit." Lilith chuckled as she took a seat on the couch. Nickoli sat next to her, still incredibly awkward. "So what did you want to ask?" Nickoli questioned. Lilith took a breath and asked "Will you be willing to do something for me?" She looked to Nickoli to see his face a bright red as he stammered "I-I-I-I don't k-k-k-know about th-th- that. I'm a l-l-little young for…"

"What? No! Not that. Geez kid I'm not a cradle robber. I… I just got off the Maliwan. It was them behind the Elemental Men. They want Angel, Justin and Patrick to disappear."

"What? Why?"

"Maliwan doesn't want people to know about the Elemental Men. They want it to stay secret. That is where you come in."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Protect them. I want you to protect the three and make sure that Maliwan doesn't get a hold of them."

Nickoli leaned forward, holding his head in his hands with his elbows on his knees. "I know I may be asking a little much of you…" Lilith went on. "I'll do it." Nickoli exclaimed.

"What?"

"I'll do it. I'll keep an eye on them. Make sure nothing happens to them."

Lilith smiled and questioned "What made you agree so quickly?" Nickoli responded "Because they're the closest thing I have to friends. I'll keep them safe."

"Is the fact that you have a crush on Angel also a reason?"

Nickoli's face turned red and he questioned "How did you guess?" Lilith laughed "Call it a woman's intuition, and I noticed how you were looking at Angel during our meeting."

"We're just friends."

"Ouch, friend zoned. That sucks, but don't worry kid. There's plenty of other fish in the sea. Whatcha want to eat? I can whip something up."

The two sat, ate and talked for the remainder of the day. Nothing truly eventful happened other than Lilith's poking at Nickoli's feelings for Angel and how he got friend zoned.

So there's the new chapter. Again, sorry for taking so long. Review or PM any thoughts on the chapter.

-Chief


	7. Chapter 7: Training

Chapter 7: Training

Nickoli woke up in his bed in Lilith's home. She had gladly taken him in since he was now making his home in Crimson City. He pondered what he was going to with Zver since he doubted the stalker would fit in around the populous. Nickoli went into the kitchen and found a note on the refrigerator. He pulled it off to see it read _"Had to get some work done. See ya around. –L" _

Nickoli shrugged his shoulders and made a bowl of cereal to start his day. He looked down at his robotic pieces, placed a finger on his cybernetic eye and touched the top of his metal spine. If there was one thing he didn't like about himself, it was his inability to repair himself. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed "I need help. I need someone who knows how to work machinery." Nickoli thought about that, and he knew exactly who he could go to for help.

Nickoli threw on his shirt and walked out the door towards the Research and Development building. He walked into the door and went to the desk. He pressed the red button, causing the buzzer to sound throughout the building. Gaige walked out of the bot pile and questioned "Well hello Nickoli! Is there something I can help you with?" Nickoli answered "I'm here to ask for a huge favor."

"How huge?"

"I would like to become your apprentice. I want you to teach me everything you know about machinery and cybernetics."

Gaige scratched her chin and asked "Tell me Nickoli, why exactly should I teach you?" Nickoli explained "I really don't want to continually go for help every time something goes wrong with my parts. I want to be able to help myself in times where I can. I understand if you don't want to take on an apprentice."

"I like your stand point. I'll teach you what you want to learn."

"Yes! Ehem, thank you Mrs. Gaige."

Gaige smiled and lead Nickoli over to the pile of robotic pieces. "Your first job, organize this pile of robotic pieces into various parts." Gaige exclaimed. "You want me to clean the place up?" Nickoli questioned.

"Yes! It will show me your organizational skills! Remember Nickoli, you gotta crawl before you can walk. Have fun!"

Gaige walked out of the building, leaving Nickoli alone with the pile of parts. Nickoli decided to get to work and started to organize the pieces by what they used to do for the bot. He put arms in one pile, legs in another and main body parts in the last. He was organizing for an hour when the phone on the desk started going off. Nickoli picked it up and answered "Research and Development, Nickoli Vladof speaking." He heard Lilith reply "Nickoli? You got a day job?"

"More like an apprenticeship. What are you calling about?"

"There's some suspicious activity outside the city, something about a massive stalker at the foot of the bridge. I wanted Gaige to make some sort of spy drone to check it out."

"I'll go and check. Stalkers have a form of respect for me."

"Alright, but be careful."

"Roger."

Nickoli hung up the phone and headed for the exit of the city. _"With my guess,"_ Nickoli thought as he walked across the bridge, _"It's probably Sver trying to find me. Must have tracked me all the way to the city, but stopped since it is unfamiliar territory."_ Nickoli made it to the end of the bridge and walked into the Highlands. He looked around and noticed a certain large stalker lying down next to a fast-travel station. The stalker lifted its head and roared in joy at seeing its master.

Sver shot forward and tackled his master to the ground in happiness, licking his face like a canine. "It's good to see you too Sver." Nickoli laughed as he pushed his pet off of him. "That's enough!" Sver backed off and roared in joy again. Nickoli scratched Sver and questioned "What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay at home." Sver made a whimpering sound and Nickoli sighed "I've been getting some work done, but I really should find you a place around here."

Nickoli scratched his chin in thought about what he was going to do with Sver now that he was staying in Crimson City. He certainly wasn't going to abandon Sver, he was his best friend, so he needed for Sver to find a home. Nickoli got an idea, but it was pretty risky. "Here's what I want you to do Sver." Nickoli instructed. "Follow me through the city, I know a place where you can stay. I want you to jump from the rooftops and avoid the street. Stay camouflaged the entire way there, understand." Sver nodded his head and Nickoli proclaimed "Good. Let's go." Nickoli walked back to Crimson City with a cloaked Sver right on his heels.

Nickoli headed back to the Research and Development building, continuously tracking Sver to make sure he didn't run into anybody. They made it back to the building safely and Sver ran around to get the layout of his new home. Nickoli shook his head and got back to his work of organizing the place. Nickoli tossed an arm into the pile when he noticed Zver dragging a leg to the designated pile. "Looks like the assistant has his own assistant." Nickoli chuckled as Zver put the leg down.

O00000O00000O

Angel walked with her mother to a flat spot in the Highlands so they could begin her Siren training. Her mother turned towards her and proclaimed "This spot will do." Angel excitedly questioned "So what are we going to try first? My Siren power? My elemental ability?"

"Meditation."

Angel's smile dropped of her face as she questioned "Seriously?" Her mother smiled and explained "In order to use your power, you must become attuned with not only your surroundings, but the flow of it and the ebb of the universe."

"That sounds incredibly boring."

Her mother rolled her and proceeded to sit on the ground, legs crossed and eyes closed. "Take a seat Angel." She calmly exclaimed. "Become one with your surroundings, sort of like your father taught you." Angel replied as she sat down "Dad taught me to use natural elements to become one with my surroundings."

"You know what I mean. Cross your legs and close your eyes."

Angel did as she was told and closed her eyes to try meditating. "Now picture your surroundings, feel the energy that naturally flows through the world." Her mother instructed. Picturing the surroundings was easy since she was just staring at them, but feeling the energy? She had no clue what she was doing. Angel took a few deep breaths and thought _"This is stupid. What energy flows through Pandora? The only place with life is right here, the rest is a dead planet."_

Angel was already starting to get bored, she figured she was going to be using her powers or her elemental ability. Not sitting on the ground "feeling the energy that naturally flows through the world". Angel took a deep breath and sighed, apparently very audibly since her mother proclaimed "I know this may seem boring, very few can immediately become one with their surroundings." Angel rolled her closed eyes and her mother scolded "Don't roll your eyes at me young lady." Angel's eyes flew open and she questioned "How did you know I rolled my eyes?"

"Because I can sense it. Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way."

Her mother scratched her chin in thought and then exclaimed "Try focusing on me, like you would a target for sniper training. Only keep your eyes closed." Angel did as she was told and closed her eyes, mentally focusing on her mother. _"This is stupid. How can I…" _Angel thought, but the thoughts quickly shot away as something started to glow in the darkness. It looked like a small green light, almost like a Mercenary Day light. She focused harder on the light and it started to glow brighter, it even started to take a shape.

Angel continued to focus on the light until it took a human form, a female form. Angel focused harder and harder until she was able to completely make out what it was; her mother. Angel opened her eyes and noticed the light had changed. It wasn't the early morning sunrise they started at, but now it was incredibly bright like it was noon. "That was something." Angel proclaimed.

"What did you see?" Her mother questioned, eyes still closed.

"I saw… you. Only you were glowing a green color. How long has it been?"

"Approximately four hours, give or take a few minutes."

Angel shot up and barked "Seriously!? It only felt like a few minutes." Her mother smiled and answered "For inexperienced ones, it may take time to read other's energy or aura, as it had been called. I am surprised it was so quick for your first time, it took me all day to read Brother Sophis' aura." Angel sat back down and questioned "So what should I do now? Focus on your aura again?"

"No, since you have shown promise, try focusing on yourself. This may unlock you Siren power or your elemental ability."

Angel nodded and closed her eyes, focusing on her own aura. She could see the small green light again, but this time it wasn't alone. A light blue light appeared next to it, so light it was almost white. Angel began to focus on that light and it started to glow brighter, like the other one before it. It grew and started to take a human shape just like before, only this shape was smaller.

Angel focused more and more on the light until it took a definite form; her form. Angel was staring at her own, light blue aura, her own power and energy flowing through her. Angel mentally tilted her head and her aura mirrored her movements. She raised her hand up and reached out to her aura, aura mirroring her movements until their fingertips touched. The touch was cold, almost freezing until she couldn't handle it anymore and ripped her hand away.

Angel snapped out of her concentration and fell onto her back. "Angel! Are you okay?" Her mother question as she ran to her side. "Yeah, I'm fine." Angel groaned as she sat up. She brought her hand to her forehead, only to find it freezing cold. Angel looked to her hand and her eyes went wide as she saw the fine layer of ice on her hand.

She held her hand out a bit and the ice shattered, falling in small pieces from her hand. "I think we just found your elemental ability." Her mother chuckled. "You're a Siren of Ice." Angel looked at her hand with wide eyes and thought _"A Siren of Ice. That is what I am. Now if only I can figure out my Siren power, but this is a nice start."_ Angel noticed a change in the light, like it was evening time.

Another thing Angel noticed was that she was seriously hungry, almost starving. "How are you feeling Angel?" Her mother questioned. "I'm hungry." Angel answered. "Can we get something to eat?"

"Yes dear, we can get something to eat."

Maya helped Angel to her feet and thought _"My little girl, a Siren of Ice. Once she hones her abilities and refines her elemental power, along with her assassin training, Angel will become one of the strongest warriors on Pandora. Maybe even the system, what kind of parent wouldn't be proud?"_ Maya walked with Angel back to their home and she prepared a meal for her daughter.

Boom, sorry for the short chapter. I just wanted to integrate some good training to show the two trying to reach their full potential. Review or PM any thoughts ideas or suggestions.

-Chief


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